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Haas has confirmed that it has switched its focus to its 2019 car, rather than improve its current challenger. The American team is enjoying a successful season so far, sitting in fifth place in the championship.
From pre-season testing, teams feared that Haas' machine would possess the ability to challenge right at the front of the midfield. That has sufficed, but team principal Guenther Steiner has now confirmed that it is switching its focus to building next year's car instead of investing in its current car.
"We decided. We are doing the ’19 car," the Italian said. "We have to because otherwise you fall too far behind. And also when you look at our car now in the midfield we are quite solid so it’s no point to keep on working on this one because we have to look at the future.
He added: "We make developments and we will bring them to the car in the next races. They are smaller ones. In the windtunnel we are developing the ’19 car.
Haas' driver line-up for next season is unclear, with Romain Grosjean's seat in danger. However, the team has previously said that it will take a look at its options regarding its 2019 line-up following the summer break.
Fergal Walsh
Grand Prix of Belgium
G. Zhou
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Replies (5)
Login to replyajpennypacker
Posts: 2,475
Yeah why keep developing the car... We're only half way through the season with everything to play for. Smh. I guess this is how teams are managed when all you have to do is wait for hand-me-downs from the parent team.
boudy
Posts: 1,168
Does this mean that Renault/Toro Rosso will out perform you in the later stages of 2018?
Norbert
Posts: 108
This happens every year. Same thing! Halfway through the season every team "gives up" on tuning the car. If they just kept tuning the same car until the end of the season and then used that car to start next season and so on, would they not advance? (Oh, they will use the same car, don’t worry) These race cars are almost the exact same thing that’s been built for a hundred years. Such a palaver and the function of every part used is almost identical to what it was in 1985. How many dozens of years does it take to perfect a machine with such a simple function? Elon Musk focuses for 2 weeks and he makes a 1000 cars. Changes his focus the next week and re-supplies the space station. Next week, a safe autonomous free fall landing of a 6 story cannon on a sloshing heaving barge. Almost nothing in F1 cars is new. There are no breakthroughs at all. It's like Japanese whaling research. So what are we talking about here? Dummies? Liars? Conartists? What gives?
Norbert
Posts: 108
I don’t mean to be too harsh. It’s a sport. It’s mostly entertainment. We don’t update the bat and the ball. But all this faux brow furrowing when the last advancements were traction control, active suspension, and KERS. Honestly I feel they just assemble standard parts and put it out there to race. Nothing wrong with that. I enjoy it obviously.
Edmondius
Posts: 2
The Haas car seems to have Ferrari engine and aero, but have their own chassis. In modern formula one it seems to have a competitive car all you need is a decent chassis with good powertrain and aero. Not to take anything away from Haas as they have been the surprise of the year, at least for me.